Neada Deters is the founder of LESSE and a modern minimalist whose intentionality defines both her brand and her life. We sat down with Neada to talk about the intimate relationship she builds with her denim—how a pair becomes truly hers through wear, travel, and the cadence of daily life. Shot in her Brooklyn space, the images lensed by Fujio Emura capture the calm rigor that defines her work and her way of living. OSSOU is something she wears and lives in, part of her daily uniform and the rhythm of her days.
OSSOU: What makes a pair of jeans feel like yours?
NEADA: When the denim has worn in just enough to feel like it’s intentionally sculpted to my body. It usually takes a few months of wear; living with me through the day to day and being squeezed into my carry on.
OSSOU: Where have these jeans already been with you, and where are they going next?
NEADA: On a quick work trip to London, a couple of weeks in India, and all over New York—to meetings, for dinner at my favorite I Sodi, to the cinema last week. I’ll be packing them with me for an upcoming family trip and some time Upstate this winter.
OSSOU: A film scene that captures your mood today.
NEADA: The scene in Jean-Luc Godard’s Masculin Féminin, when he says “we can’t live without tenderness.” One of my favorite scenes and favorite lines of all time.
OSSOU: The best compliment you’ve ever received wearing denim.
NEADA: I was photographed for a book made in tribute to vintage denim years ago. I still occasionally see the book floating around stores in New York.
OSSOU: Which artist, architect, or designer always re-centers you?
NEADA: Schindler, Gray, Corbusier, Asawa, Noguchi, Scarpa, Mallet-Stevens (mainly for his entryways and staircases!).
OSSOU: The one piece you always pair with denim.
NEADA: A blazer, ideally with a more sculpted silhouette.
OSSOU: What makes this pair that pair?
NEADA: It’s the perfect straight leg, with an elongated cut. I could wear these jeans with any shirt or jacket in my closet; they’re timeless and feel refined enough to call on for any occasion.
OSSOU: What’s the wildest thing you’ve done in denim?
NEADA: Less wild and more memorable: riding horses on Ghost Ranch, harvesting agave with Jimadores in Mexico, a week of roaming across the Scottish wilderness, line dancing in rural Australia.
